This invention relates to an apparatus for engraving vein cuts and more particularly to an apparatus for engraving vein cuts in an elongated flat metal strip which will have leaves stamped therefrom for use in the manufacture of jewelry.
A certain design of gold jewelry known as Black Hills Gold or Black Hills Gold Jewelry is sold throughout the United States and is manufactured in the Black Hills area of South Dakota. Black Hills Gold Jewelry normally consists of a plurality of gold leaves which are secured together in a predetermined pattern on rings, pendants, earrings, etc.
In the normal manufacture of the jewelry, the individual leaves are stamped or punched from a flat strip of gold material. Once the leaves have been stamped from the gold strip, they are assembled on a soldering board and a gold solder paste is applied to the leaves. Heat is then applied to melt the gold solder paste thereby brazing the parts together. Oxidation does occur with this process and the same is removed by bombing and tumbling. After bombing and tumbling, the jewelry is gold plated and is then sometimes adhered with hot wax to a wooden dowel. This is done to hold the jewelry in place so it can be hand-florentined and hand-engraved.
The individual leaves are hand-florentined by manually bringing the leaf into engagement with a "wriggle" machine which includes a tool bit which moves in a rocking motion against one surface of the leaf to impart a mat or florentine finish thereto. The florentine process brings out or highlights the color of the gold and provides contrast for the vein cuts which will subsequently be engraved in the leaves. The vein cuts are also commonly referred to as bright cuts. After the individual leaves have been hand-florentined, the leaf veins or bright cuts are then hand-engraved in the leaves. The leaf veins are created or engraved in the individual leaves by employing a highly polished and sharp tool bit to cut the veins in the jewelry leaves. The above described process is extremely time-consuming and is labor-intensive.
In applicant's application filed simultaneously herewith entitled "Apparatus for Creating a Florentine Pattern on a Gold Strip", an apparatus is disclosed which automatically applies the florentine finish to the gold strip.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a machine which automatically creates vein cuts in a florentined gold strip.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which creates the vein or bright cuts in a predetermine pattern on a gold strip with the gold strip being subsequently punched or stamped to form individual leaves having the vein cuts therein.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described which creates an index notch on one edge of thereof to aid in subsequently punching individual leaves from the gold strip.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.